Gensokyo's Four Seasons
by Shadow1176
Summary: Winter. Everlasting, stuck in the cycle of nature as one of four seasons. The only season that I emerge. Autumn. Ever changing, always present, at peace.
1. A Winter Youkai

A/N: A School piece, adapted into a story. Please enjoy.

Winter.

A bitter cold, freezing winds, terrible frost.

A season for animals to hibernate or move away, as each returns to the lifestyle similar to humans.

The very season that I emerge during.

My name is Letty Whiterock, a Youkai found only during the winter, as the other seasons are far too hot for my body to handle.

Casualties. Death. The frost has claimed many lives before, regardless of what time period we reside in.

The drab skies fall quickly to the darkness of the night, reducing our daylight to near nil.

The fields of snow and ice freeze over the crops, as the plants remain barren, dead and empty of life.

To most, winter was a time of strife, rationing, cold, and darkness.

Yet to myself, I appreciate the finer contours of such a wonderful season.

The simple quiet of the forests, with no animals and humans to interrupt the calm of nature.

The gorgeous sights of glistening snow and sheer ice formed upon rock cliffs, reflecting their light rays to all those who observe such beautiful phenomenon.

Only evergreen trees retaining their leaves, the rest barren and hollow, snow and ice instead taking the place of where leaves once resided in the form of icicles and frosted snow.

So few humans outside, many deciding to remain home, and enjoy the inner comforts of home.

Youkai out in bounds, as the various Winter exclusive Youkai emerge in droves, to enjoy what little time they can spend on the surface, whether they come from the mountains or underground.

Even if I spend most of my time alone, there are two others that I could call my friends.

The first, a fairy known as Cirno. Boisterous and always claiming to be the strongest, she was an endearing child, and a good friend that one could rely on without hesitation.

The second, also a fairy simply known as Daiyousei. Calm and level headed but also shy, she was adorable to many others for her personality, and was one of the few people I could talk to freely.

The landscape covered in pristine white, the background incredible and wondrous to the human eye.

The beautiful stars come out in full display, their shining lights piercing the night skies with their incredible glare.

All seasons have their perks, yet to me, I see Winter as the most beautiful of all, the most thought invoking of any of the four.

And as the snow melts away and the flowers begin to bloom once more, I retreat into my abode, to live the rest of the year underground, where the temperatures are appropriate for myself.

After of course, giving Cirno and Daiyousei my farewells, both of them waving as I retreat below.


	2. An Autumn Shrine Maiden

Autumn.

Fleeting, ever changing, quick in view and fast in movement.

The start of bitter winds and low temperatures, of the harvest of Autumn crops.

A precursor to the cold, but also a time of peace, of seasonal change from hot to cold.

The trees shift and turn, their leaves melding into new colors and faces and shapes.

As I stand in my shrine, sweeping away at the numerous leaves of all colors and shapes, a fierce gust of wind blows, whipping the trees and ground into a frenzy, a veritable maelstrom of leaves surrounding me as I witness their movement.

The maelstrom of leaves continued, spinning around much like a certain curse goddess.

So simple, so insignificant, so powerless were the leaves.

Yet, their beauty lay within that very simplicity, that very weakness.

In the storm of leaves that I stand within, a single red maple leaf, pristine in color and rich in texture, floats down gently, dropping right into my outstretched hand.

As the leaves, so numerous in color and quantity, ranging from red, orange, yellow, green, even brown, die down upon the ground of the Shrine with the wind's relenting hold, the maple leaf that I held in my hand fell to the ground in a second, as I continued sweeping, my duties taking precedence over a few leaves, much as I loved and appreciated nature.

As I look off in the distance, more sights can be seen.

The trees, thousands of them bearing their old leaves, many of them lost in the inevitable wind that came to blow them away.

The sky, covered in bleak, grey rainclouds but also with bright blue, the sky painted a picture of both sadness and joy, of despair and hope, of terror and safety.

The sun, once a scorching ball of discomfort, now a pleasant temperature for those inclined to colder environments.

Now a mellow yellow rather than the scorching orange it was only a while back, it's rays warming and comforting to all.

In the distance over the Forest of Magic, the bright lights of Danmaku can be seen, as a Spell Card Duel took place. Judging from the massive lasers and numerous explosions that accompanied the beautiful display of magic, it was most likely Marisa and Alice sparring once again.

As the last of the leaves were moved to the compost heap, I set them ablaze with a simple fire spell, taught by Mokou, before a voice called out, "Reimu! Dinner's ready to made!"

"Coming!"

As I walk back into the shrine, to my family, only one thought crossed the Hakurei Shrine Maiden's mind.

Autumn, in all of its peace, is the most precious of the four seasons.


End file.
